


From Copenhagen with Love

by lionessvalenti



Category: White Collar
Genre: Bechdel Test Pass, Break Up, Europe, F/F, F/M, Femslash, Get Together, Jossed, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-16
Updated: 2010-12-16
Packaged: 2017-10-13 16:58:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/139555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/pseuds/lionessvalenti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex has been chasing rumors of the music box all around Europe for months with her girlfriend, Kate. When Alex finally finds the box, she brings in Neal to assist with the heist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Copenhagen with Love

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to 51stCenturyFox for beta-ing! Includes spoilers for 2.09, Point Blank.

_"When did you become so distrusting?" --Neal  
"When what happened with Kate." --Alex_  
\--Front Man

 

It was only six in the morning, but Alex was already awake and dressed. She sipped at her coffee, wondering if caffeine was such a good idea as she tapped her foot against the floor. Yeah, she should definitely cut caffeine out of her life, along with sugar, and go vegan. Though, realistically, she knew it was just as likely that she'd fly to the moon as it was for any of those things to happen.

Alex jumped at the sharp knock at the door. She took a deep breath and ran a self-conscious hand through her hair as she crossed the small apartment. She opened the door, and there was Neal Caffrey, looking as perfect as he had the last time she saw him, almost two years ago.

"Alex," he said, leaning forward to hug her. She accepted the hug, but when he went to kiss her, she turned her face so he only got cheek.

"Hey, Neal. Come on in." She shut the door behind him. She turned around and watched him. He had set his small leather traveling bag down on the floor and was looking around the small apartment. He gazed first at the basic furnishings and the stock art on the walls, before he moved onto the closed doors along the back wall. He stopped, studying the window with its gauzy blue curtains.

She knew what he was doing.

"The window in here isn't really accessible for a quick exit, but the one in the bedroom is. It's through that door there," she said, pointing.

Neal turned and laughed. "Good to know."

"I was certain that you'd be bringing Mozzie with you," she said. "Where is he?"

"Mozzie's busy with his own project right now. He sends his best. Copenhagen was unexpected, but I can't think of any other reason why you'd call me here. I'm guessing you found it."

"I got a tip that it was in Budapest and I've spent the last five and a half months following the trail all over Europe. Austria, Switzerland, France twice, Spain, Germany, and now here." Alex moved toward the kitchenette. "Do you want coffee?"

"That'd be great, thanks." Neal took a seat at the small table, in the empty chair, across from where her half empty mug was sitting. "Where is it?"

She grinned and came over with a full mug, setting it in front of him. "The Amalienborg Palace."

He laughed. "Can't make it easy, can we?"

"It's going to be fun. The queen's in for the winter," she replied. She reached for her own mug and took a deep breath. "Listen, Neal, there's something we need to talk about before we begin planning this."

"Uh oh." Neal took a sip of his coffee, looking amused. No, this was Neal Caffrey, she reminded herself. He was _smug_. "Is this one of those business-only, we're-just-friends conversations? Because I've heard that one before, Alex. It never works for us."

"It will this time. I'm seeing someone."

He blinked and set down his mug. "Really. Is he here?" he asked, looking around the room like he might have missed a man sitting in the corner.

"Still asleep," Alex replied, feeling a sinking feeling in her stomach. This was just going to be awkward. "But the thing is, he's not really--"

"You're not dating a cop are you?" Neal asked, his expression a strange combination of amused and disgusted. "We're not going to have to sneak around in here, are we?"

Alex actually laughed. "God, Neal, I wouldn't date a cop. We're fine here."

He started to ask something else, but the bedroom door opened. They both looked over as Kate walked out wearing a red sweater coat with the belt tied, and a pair of grey woolen socks. Her dark hair was sticking up in the back in a tangly mess.

"Did we wake you up?" Alex asked.

Kate shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'm going to take a shower," she said before disappearing into the bathroom.

Alex turned back to Neal who, to his benefit, didn't look especially surprised. He took a long sip of his coffee.

"How old is she?" he asked after a moment. "She looks like she's sixteen."

"She's nineteen."

Neal made a little neutral noise. Alex didn't know what to make of that, so she ignored it. The silence hung between them until the shower came on in the next room. She heaved a loud sigh.

"If you have something to say, just say it," Alex said finally. "If you're going to be here and we're going to get the music box, we need to be on the same page. Out of with it."

"I didn't realize you were into women," he said with a shrug.

"Just because I didn't date women when I was dating you doesn't mean that I'm not interested in them. I don't typically date two people at once."

Neal gave her a hint of a smile. "Fair enough. Where'd you meet her? She's -- she sounded American."

"She is. I met her when I went through France. The first time. She's taking a year off school to travel Europe."

"By herself?"

Alex shook her head. "With a group, but she broke off from them when I got a tip about the box being in Barcelona, which it wasn't. We've been traveling together ever since."

"Does she know?" Neal asked, and there was a sense of caution in his voice. "What you do?"

"Yeah, I told her. She's fine with it. I've actually been teaching some stuff and she's taking to it well. And don't worry, I'm not expecting her to help on the job. I'm not going to put an amateur in on a major heist. She's just mastered pick-pocketing. Though I really was expecting you to bring Mozzie."

"We'll manage," Neal replied. Of course he thought so, he was the king of improvisation. He smiled and started laughing. "I'm being rude, this should have been the first question I asked: what's her name?"

Alex laughed too. "Her name's Kate."

"Kate," Neal repeated. "Okay."

Now that the interrogation seemed to be over, Alex sat back in her chair. "So I heard a rumor that you have a new FBI agent friend following you around."

"Well, he can't get me here. And odds are, he'll last just as long and be just as unsuccessful as the last two." Neal shrugged. "I'm not worried about it, and I'm especially not worried about it now that I'm out of the country. How did you even know about that?"

"Why, Neal, you underestimate me. I am very well connected and because of that, I know everything."

Neal smiled. "Do you know what I'm thinking now?"

She laughed and shook her head. "I'm connected, not a mind reader."

"Then you don't know everything."

"I probably don't want to know anyway," she replied. She turned her head at the sound of the bathroom door opening, and Kate walking out, again in the sweater, but without the socks and her hair up in a towel.

"I'll be social once I put on some pants," she said.

Neal raised a casual hand. "Don't get dressed on my account."

"I'll keep that in mind," Kate replied with a chuckle before slipping into the bedroom.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Can you ever turn it off, Caffrey?"

Neal grinned. "Only when necessary."

After a few moments, the bedroom door opened once again, and Kate walked out, dressed with her wet hair pulled back in a ponytail. She crossed the main room and stood by Alex. "You must be Neal. I'm Kate."

"Nice to meet you," Neal replied, flashing her his predictably charming grin.

"You want some coffee?" Alex asked, tilting her head up to meet Kate's eyes.

"No, thanks," Kate replied. "I'm going to take my book down to Lagkagehuset for breakfast and head over to the Thorvaldsen when they open. I'll stay out of your way while you guys plan your heist."

Alex wrapped an arm around Kate's waist. "You're not in the way."

"It's no big deal. I want to finish my drawing of _Hebe_ anyway. Do you want me to bring something back for dinner?"

"It's too early for me to think about dinner," Alex replied. "Come home and we'll talk about it then. But if you want to bring strawberry cake, I won't complain."

Kate leaned down and kissed Alex. "Can do." She moved out of Alex's casual grasp, and grabbed a grey hooded pea coat off the end of the sofa, slipping it on. She retrieved fingerless gloves from the pockets. She picked up an oversized sketchbook that was leaning against the couch and tucked it under her arm.

"I'll be home around four," Kate said, pulling up the hood on her coat with her free hand.

She left, and Neal stood up, taking his coffee mug with him. "How long have you guys been here? She seems really familiar with the city."

"Three weeks," Alex replied, picking up her own mug. The coffee in the bottom was surely cold now. "It took some time to get word to you once I confirmed that the box was here. But she was like this everywhere. She studied French, but she seems to pick up languages easily. Her Danish is better than mine and I've been here before."

"She sounds perfect. What can't she do?" Neal asked. He refilled his mug and went back to the table.

"You're just bitter because you let all the amazing women in your life go when things start to get serious," Alex said.

"Maybe I haven't met the right one yet."

Ouch. Alex frowned and set her mug back down. "Maybe we should start putting this plan together."

Neal turned his head toward her and nodded. He looked a little regretful of the comment, but she knew better than to trust him. She was used to him trying to get on her good side. It would be different this time. She was older and wiser. She wouldn't fall for his charms anymore.

\--- --- ---

In her time in Denmark, Kate had spent nearly every day in a museum or a castle. She loved museums and history and would have been happy going to a new one every day until she went to the Thorvaldsen museum.

She became obsessed. She found herself going back again and again to sketch the statues. It was awkward because there weren't always places to sit, but it was worth it. For as much as she kept telling herself to go somewhere new, she was constantly drawn back to the Thorvaldsen. There was something alive about these statues. Something that spoke to her, but she couldn't quite hear what it was, and she was going to keep drawing until she got the message.

Besides, they weren't going to stay in Copenhagen forever. She wanted to take as much of it home with her as possible.

Alex wasn't as interested in the museums. She liked the pieces, and she was knowledgeable, but she was easily bored. It was just looking at things. It wasn't a puzzle to piece together. She liked doing things that were active. Early on in their travels, Kate realized that the best thing for both of them would be if she went to the museums alone and meet up with Alex afterward.

Besides, Alex was busy hunting for the music box. Kate wondered sometimes how much money Alex had from her life as a thief. She didn't seem to worry about money, always putting them up in nice, temporary flats, taking them out to eat, and constantly putting spending cash in Kate's hand. Thievery must be profitable.

Kate was almost finished with the rough sketch of _Jason with the Golden Fleece_ when she thought to check her watch. Three-thirty. It was time to pack up and head back to the apartment.

She felt fortunate that her favorite museum was in walking distance of the flat. She could get back home in about fifteen minutes. She stopped in at Lagkagehuset to pick up the strawberry cake for Alex before actually going up their street.

When she arrived at the flat, Neal and Alex were sitting on the floor, a blueprint spread out in front of them. They both looked up at her as she entered.

"Is it four already?" Alex asked. She got to her feet and moved for Kate, kissing her. She grabbed the Lagkagehuset bag. "Is that my strawberry cake?"

"I deliver," Kate replied with a smile. She set her book against the wall and dropped her bag next to it before pulling out of her winter coat. She couldn't take the cold. It was all in her head, because she knew it was relatively the same temperature, if not warmer, but it seemed so much colder in Copenhagen compared to New York.

"I'll snack on that later," Alex replied. "You can join me. I'm going to hop in the shower, and then the three of us can get some dinner. How's that sound?"

"Sounds great," Kate said. She lowered her voice so Neal wouldn't overhear and said, "I'd rather join you for the shower and let you eat cake in peace."

Alex grinned. "No kidding." She winked and headed across the apartment.

When the bathroom door was shut and locked, Kate walked over to where Neal was still sitting on the floor, studying the blueprints. She crouched down next to him, and looked over it. "Which one of the palaces is this?"

"Brockdorff's," Neal replied. "Have you been there?"

"Just outside. I've been trying to get into as many of the castles as possible, but so many of them are closed for tours during the winter." She smiled at him. "I'm a little jealous."

"Why? Because we're going in?"

"Yeah. I mean, I know you guys aren't exactly taking a tour, but I'd still love to see the inside of it. I'm sure it's gorgeous."

Neal smiled. "I'll draw you a picture when we get back."

"You draw?" Kate asked, tilting her head to the side.

"What did Alex tell you about me, exactly?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"That you're a conman and therefore are untrustworthy, and a thief so I should keep a hold of my wallet." Kate grinned and lowered her voice. "But I think the same thing could be said for her and I keep my guard down. Why do you ask?"

Neal shook his head. "I'm also a forger, so yeah, I can draw."

"You forge art?" Kate's smile faded and she sat back on her heels to get a better look at him.

"Sometimes, if it's called for." He studied her face for a moment. "Is that a problem?"

"I don't know. Art is something personal. It's not like you were forging stock certificates or something. That's just money. Copying a painting or a statue and calling it your own, that's a part of someone's soul." She shrugged. "Something about that seems wrong to me."

He smiled at her, like he'd never heard anyone say anything like that before. "But I'm not calling it my own," he said. "I'm calling it theirs, even if it isn't. I'm not trying to scam the artist, or their soul. Just the people who want to buy it. What about stealing a painting? Would you have a problem with that?"

She considered the question carefully. She was associating herself with thieves, and going into it with her eyes open. How high could her morals get? Where was the line? Finally, she replied, "No, but that's not out of the artist's pocket. By the time a piece's value is enough to steal it, the artist is long gone, and it's in the hands of someone who can drop five million for a painting."

"So you only care about the artist getting their due, then."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"What's the difference between stealing the real thing and leaving someone with a forgery, thinking they still have the real one? Who am I cheating? They're happy, I'm happy. We're all winners."

"It's not about cheating anyone," Kate said. "It's... cheap."

"Cheap?" Neal repeated. "Cheap how? All you care about is the artist getting his due, and by that point he's dead so why does it matter?"

She gazed at him and slowly shook her head. "Because it's not yours to take. And I'm not talking about the physical painting, I'm talking about the work and creativity. The inspiration and dedication. The crazy and the raw and everything that comes out of you when you create something. Those aren't yours. That was someone else's and you're just copying the lines."

"So those sketches you did of the statues at the museum," he said, motioning to her sketchbook, "that's not copying the lines?"

"No one's going to look at my sketches and say, 'oh, those are really nice statues.'"

Neal laughed. "I guess not. But you worked hard on them, I'm sure. You put yourself into them, just as much as the original artist did. And they aren't yours. That's not your creativity and crazy."

"No, but they are my drawings. I'm not trying to pretend that they're anything else. I mean, if I drew a tree, it's my drawing, but I don't own the tree. I didn't grow it, I didn't watch it form, but I put it to paper. I was inspired by the tree and put myself into it. Can you even do that with a forgery?" Kate asked. "Put yourself into it? Isn't the point for it be what the original is, without you, without feeling? Maybe an iota of what the artist was feeling, at best?"

He smiled. Not that shining grin, but something almost real. Something that made Kate's stomach twist up in knots (though she could hear Alex's voice in the back of her head, reminding her that Neal's a conman) as she waited for his response.

"You ask all the right questions, don't you?" he asked, his voice lowering. She wondered if that was supposed to be some kind of distracting, seductive tone.

She raised her eyebrows. "Is that like code for not having an actual response?"

"It's code for... I have to think about it."

Kate smiled and stood up, stretching her legs. Strangely, she felt a feeling of triumph over this conversation. Like she had won it. The feeling faded when she wondered if he had let her win it. Her triumph faded into confusion. She was beginning to understand what Alex meant about not trusting anything when it came to Neal Caffrey. Even her own emotions seemed susceptible.

\--- --- ---

Alex enjoyed dinner more than she had expected. She and Neal shared a bottle of wine while they talked about old jobs they'd pulled. She held onto Kate's hand as, throughout the meal, Kate drank her weight in beer. Alex suspected that tomorrow wasn't going to be a museum day.

"Do you still run with that guy, what's his name?" Alex asked. "The one you met at the backgammon thing?"

"Backgammon?" Kate repeated with a laugh. "Isn't that the game that grandparents teach little kids how to play, and then they forget by the time they hit puberty?"

Neal laughed too. "That's the one. But some people play competitively. And you can cheat to win." He turned to Alex. "And that was Keller. I haven't seen him in ages. If I ran into him again, I'd do another job with him. He's more aggressive than I am, but he's good at what he does."

"He was such a pompous ass," Alex said, rolling her eyes. "He knew everything about everything."

"Aren't we all pompous asses?" Neal asked, cutting into his chicken. "Honestly, what good conman -- or woman -- isn't? You have to be confident and sure of yourself or no one is going to buy what you're selling. Isn't that what being an ass is all about?"

"There's confidence and then there's being full of yourself. There's a difference."

"What's the difference, then?"

Alex paused. "Your attitude when you're done talking to the mark. When you go home at the end of the day. It's okay to be who you really are when you're alone. Or when you're with someone you care about." She looked away from him and took a drink of wine.

It sounded nice, but she and Neal had never been who they really were. At least, she had never been. She could never let her guard down because she wasn't sure if his was down too. She had never wanted to be more vulnerable than he was. That was why she liked Kate so much. There weren't pretenses. She was completely (well, maybe not _completely_ ) innocent. There weren't those kinds of lines.

"That makes a lot of sense," Neal said. "Very astute, Alex."

Yeah, there was no way he was ever as honest with her as she had been with him. Compliments were always the first sign.

After dinner, they stood outside the restaurant, like it was some kind of bizarre first date and they didn't know if they were going home together, or bidding each other good night. Kate held onto Alex's arm for support as she swayed on the spot.

"Is she okay?" Neal asked, motioning to Kate.

"I'm fine," Kate replied loudly. "One too many. We only live just over there." She motioned toward the general direction of their apartment. "It's cool."

He chuckled. "Okay, well, then good night. I'll see you tomorrow, Alex."

"Night, Neal," Alex replied, and she turned, arm linked with Kate's, toward their flat. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, really," Kate replied. She bumped into Alex, sending them a step off the edge of the sidewalk. "Just a little drunk. And kind of horny."

Alex grinned as she guided them back onto the pavement. "I can help with you with one of those."

Kate laughed. "We should eat that strawberry cake, too. In bed."

"We can do that if we get that far," Alex said. She unlinked her arm and wrapped her arm around Kate's waist. She felt a little warmer, their bodies closer together. She didn't mind the cold, especially since Copenhagen only had a few hours of daylight during the winter. Extended darkness was better for the job.

Back at the flat, they stripped out of their coats and Kate stumbled toward the bedroom, pulling Alex with her.

The sex was the way Alex liked it. It was fast and hard. Unceremonious and dirty. Kate had just pulled off Alex's pants when she was between Alex's legs, pressing a finger (no, two fingers -- three) into her, working her, and teasing Alex's clit with her thumb.

Alex could feel her orgasm coming on already. It never took much. She threw her arm over her mouth to muffle her cry as she came. She writhed against Kate's hand, panting. "Fuck. Fuck."

Kate laughed and pulled out her fingers. She started taking off her own clothes until she was down to her pink cotton panties and knee-high boots when she straddled Alex's thigh, just above the knee.

Alex sat back and watched as Kate -- for lack of a better phrase -- _dry humped_ her leg. That was new, but Alex wasn't going to complain. She loved this part, watching Kate not ask for a thing and completely take control of her own pleasure. Kate was gorgeous, red-faced and moaning loudly each time she came down hard onto Alex's thigh, her breasts swinging freely.

When Kate came, she wasn't considerate of the people in the next apartment over. She screamed unabashedly, throwing her head back, her ponytail swinging freely. She fell off to the side and sloppily kissed Alex's cheek.

"Do you want to take your shoes off?" Alex asked. "You're still in your boots."

"Oh, I don't... yeah, that'd be great," Kate replied. She sat up halfway, then flopped back onto the bed. "No, I'll leave them."

Alex laughed and crawled toward the end of the bed. She lowered the zipper on the first boot and pulled off Kate's boot, then the other. She leaned down and kissed the inside of Kate's calf before slipping back into place. "How's that?"

"Better, but I'm still not really..." Kate looked up at Alex through her dark lashes. "Satisfied?"

"Greedy," Alex muttered with a sly grin and slid her hand inside Kate's underwear, circling her finger around Kate's clit. "How's that feel?"

Kate moaned and closed her eyes. "Good. Really good." After a moment she opened her eyes and looked at Alex. "What are we going to do after you get the music box? Where are we going?"

"Anywhere we want. Where haven't you been?"

"Italy," Kate said right away. "I know all the travel so far has depended on where the box was, but I've wanted to go to Italy, to Venice and Rome, for a long time. I was trying to convince some of the people in my travel group to go there for a few days, but no one wanted to, and we were on this tour schedule. It was stupid. All the rules they set for themselves. An hour here, five hours here, don't go there."

"Well now there are no more rules," Alex whispered, pulling her hand from Kate's underwear. "We can go anywhere and do anything we want. You want to go to Venice, we can go there. Rome is beautiful. We can travel the countrysides."

"Yes," Kate mumbled. "That sounds perfect."

"We can make love in a vineyard." That was probably a lot more romantic sounding than the reality would be, and they might want to wait until it's warmer, but Alex liked the way it sounded.

Kate's eyes closed again. "Sounds beautiful."

Alex tilted her head up and kissed Kate's cheek. Kate didn't stir and Alex smiled.

She thought back to when she first met Kate in Paris. Kate had come up to her table in a crowded café and asked if she could sit in the empty chair. She has asked first in French, and when Alex stared at her, she laughed and tried again in English.

 _"Yeah, go ahead," Alex replied, motioning to the seat. They sat in silence until Alex spotted Kate's sketchbook. "You draw?"_

 _"Some," Kate replied. "I've been trying to take in my trip through sketches. Do you draw?"_

 _Alex laughed and shook her head. "No," she said, "not unless you count stick figures. But I know a lot about art. It's kind of my trade."_

 _Kate's eyes lit up. "What do you do?"_

 _"Import, export. Sales. Art, antiques, anything of the sort that's of value."_

 _"Would I be crazy to ask if you're talking about the black market?" Kate asked. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't look like she disapproved. More like she was wanting to be sure she was right, and not wanting to insult Alex._

 _"Why would you ask that?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow._

 _"'Anything of the sort that's of value'," Kate quoted back to her. "If you were legit, you'd have left it at arts and antiques, and even that's broad. Overlap aside, those are generally pretty separate when it comes to sales. And 'import, export'? That's like code for criminal."_

 _Alex grinned. "Very perceptive, actually. How do you know so much?"_

 _"I read a lot of books. And my father was in the art trade for years. He told me a lot about it as I was growing up. The good and the bad."_

 _"So you think what I do is a bad thing."_

 _Kate shrugged. "Not really. It's just money."_

 _"Oh, you grew up rich," Alex replied as if that explained everything. "Only rich kids don't care about money."_

 _"Guilty. But if there's anything I've learned, no one steals art and antiques from anyone who can't afford to lose them. And if they can afford to lose them, they can afford better security if they really cared."_

 _That was the moment Alex decided that she really liked this girl._

 _"I should get back to my tour group," Kate said, picking up her sketchbook and bag. "I've been hiding from them, and by now they've probably figured out that I'm not there."_

 _"Why are you hiding?" Alex asked._

 _"They're boring. They're making France boring, and I haven't even gotten to do any of the things that I came here to do. I thought coming with a group would be better, but it's not. It's terrible. I wish I'd come on my own."_

 _Alex tilted her head to the side. "Do you want to hide for a bit longer?"_

 _"I could hide at your place," Kate said with a casual shrug._

 _In Alex's hotel room, Kate sat up in the bed, pulling the blankets above her breasts. She giggled. "I never do this. I don't have sex with people I met an hour before. I really don't."_

 _"Who do you have sex with?" Alex slipped out of bed to get a glass of water. She didn't bother covering up. Ten minutes ago, Kate had been sucking an enthusiastic hickey on Alex's breast while she fingered her. There was really no reason to be modest now._

 _"I don't know... frat boys?" Kate laughed._

 _Alex came back with her water and sat on the bed, taking a sip. She offered the glass to Kate, who shook her head. "So, no soulful artists for you?" Alex asked. She wondered if Kate had ever been with a woman before. Not that it mattered, and not that Alex noticed any hesitation or signs of a "first time". Kate was confident and not afraid to ask for what she wanted._

 _Kate shrugged. "Sometimes. I've been in a lot of really short relationships. Something's always wrong, and I get out quickly. But I don't really have a type. If I'm interested and they're interested, I give a shot. That's how I've always been."_

 _Alex set the glass aside and leaned in. "Lucky for me," she mumbled before kissing Kate, sliding her hand up into Kate's hair._

 _Kate moaned and pulled Alex back down onto the bed._

The next morning, Alex had invited Kate to come stay her and travel on the search for the music box. She hadn't actually expected Kate to say yes, but she was glad that Kate had.

\--- --- ---

"Do you feel terrible?" Alex asked, and Kate shook her head. Slowly.

"It's not too bad. Headache-y. Thirsty. I might get some breakfast later, but not now." Kate pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. "What are you doing again?"

"Just some preliminary stuff for the job. No big deal."

Kate sat up a little bit in bed. "Is Neal going with you?"

"No, this is all on me. It's actually important that we're not together today."

"So, you like really have a type, don't you?" Kate asked, resting her head against the wall. "The whole dark hair, blue eyes thing. I never thought I'd meet someone's ex and see such a startling resemblance."

Alex laughed. "Maybe a little, yeah, but you're nothing like Neal. You're better." She leaned down and kissed Kate's forehead. "I'll be back this evening. Are you going museum hunting later?"

"No," Kate replied with a laugh. "I'm taking a day off. The museums will still be there tomorrow. Though, when are you guys planning on robbing the palace? I'm guessing that we'll be making a quick getaway after that."

"Tomorrow night. And the getaway depends on how it goes and who sees us."

"So should I start packing?"

"Depends on how fast you can pack if we do need to get out quickly."

Kate chuckled. "Yeah, that's good to know."

Alex smiled. "Don't worry too much about it. I can't imagine that we'll need to get out of the country that quickly, even if things do go south. I'll see you later."

"Later." Kate curled back under the blankets and fell back asleep. When she woke up a couple hours later, she felt somewhat better. The headache had passed, but her throat felt sticky. It was definitely time for a hot shower and a large glass of water.

After she was showered, dressed, and with her hair dried, Kate felt ready to go out long enough to get food and bring it back. She was ready to turn on the television and have a lazy day. Especially if there was possibly going to be a quick exit in their future, she might not get the chance again for awhile.

Kate headed to Lagkagehuset, and took a deep breath when she was inside. The bakery was warm and everything smelled fantastic. She reached up to lower her hood, when she spotted someone familiar just ahead of her. There was a swooping sensation in her stomach, but she ignored it, composing herself. "Neal?"

He turned and grinned. "Hey, Kate. Fancy seeing you."

"I live just around the corner and you heard me talking about it yesterday. How long have you been here?"

Neal laughed. "Not long. I haven't even ordered yet. Your timing's impeccable." He reached out and touched her arm. "How are you feeling? Are you really hungover?"

"I'm fine now. Sleep was a good idea, though now I want coffee and snegl," Kate replied, moving toward the counter.

"A what?" Neal asked. He was smiling and looking interested. She didn't imagine he was someone who asked a lot of questions, that he already knew all the answers.

"Snegl. It's a little bun. It's really tasty."

"So you recommend that?"

"I recommend anything here. The muffins are good. So are the sandwiches. Actually, anything's good here. It's a little pricey, but it's worth every penny." When they were next in line, she motioned for him to order first. "You were here before I was."

When they ordered, Kate spoke to the cashier in Danish, only slipping into English on the words or phrases she wasn't sure of. She was aware that Neal was watching her, so she added, "Denne herre betaler," and nodded toward him. The cashier laughed.

"What did you tell her?" Neal asked.

Kate flashed him a grin. "That you were going to pay."

He laughed too, and reached for his wallet. "Fair enough."

After they got their food (Neal's bag bulging with everything Kate had suggested), they headed outside into the cold. Kate held her coffee pressed between one hand and her chest while she lifted her hood over her head. "Do you want to come back to the flat? So we don't have to stay out here? It's too cold for me."

"Sure." Neal sipped at his coffee. "So Alex said that you've learned Danish since you've been here? She says you're practically fluent."

"I didn't really learn it. I just kind of picked it up. I can't read it at all, it's so different, and I'm definitely not fluent, as you saw there. The only language other than English I would say I'm fluent in is French. I studied it in high school. My family's French. My grandparents lived there until they moved to the States in the forties. They wanted their kids to be Americanized, so they all have American names and didn't really teach them the language, but we're still Moreaus." Kate felt face heat up, and she hoped Neal thought her cheeks were reddening from the wind, if he noticed at all. She didn't mean to start telling him her family history. Luckily, he seemed interested.

"So is that why you studied it and went to France? The family history?"

"Yes. I'm taking some time off from school and I thought a trip to France would be perfect. I wanted to look up the lineage while I was there, but the group I was with wasn't exactly what I was looking for. It was all sightseeing, and that's fine, but I was restricted. I was already thinking of leaving the group when I met Alex." Kate took a drink of her coffee and glanced up at him. "Though I still haven't studied that family history. But the travel's been exciting nonetheless."

"It's different running with renegades, isn't it?" Neal asked, flashing a grin.

She laughed. "It's a lot less predictable, which is good. But I don't know what I'm going to do if something goes wrong. That's kind of a concern."

"Well, Alex is very good at what she does. I don't think that's something you have to worry about."

"Here, hold this." Kate handed him her bag while she reached into her pocket for her keys. They went upstairs to the flat, and Neal went to the table, like he was perfectly comfortable there. Like he lived there, too.

He started pulling snacks and the sandwich out of his bag. "Are you this good with all languages, or just Danish?"

She pulled off her coat and joined him at the table. "Umm, Spanish was pretty easy, luckily, since we weren't in Spain very long. German was a little bit harder for me, but we were in Essen and Berlin for a few weeks, so I had time." She shrugged. "If you're around it all the time, and people are speaking it everywhere, I can't help but pick it up."

"That's a very exciting gift you have," Neal replied. He took a bite of his muffin and his eyes rolled into the back of his head for a moment. "Oh my god," he said, his mouth half full. "That's delicious."

"What did I tell you?" Kate laughed. "I'm going to miss it here so much when we leave. That's why I was trying to get in as many sketches as possible. It makes me wish I had a camera so I could cover more ground, but drawing them all... makes me feel like I'm part of it."

"Could I see them? Your drawings?" Neal asked.

Kate smiled. "Sure, I guess. If you really want to. Don't judge them too hard if they aren't exactly like the originals."

He put a hand to his heart. "You're not going to let that one go, are you?"

"I guess I just want my art to be me and no one else. Even if it's a rendition of someone else's." She shrugged and reached for her pastry.

When they finished eating, they settled together on the sofa, with Kate's sketchbook between them.

"These are just the ones from Denmark," Kate said, opening the book to the first page. "I have a whole 'nother one for Germany, and like two from France."

Neal looked surprised. "You've been busy." He turned his eyes to the drawing in front of him, and flipped through a few of the pages wordlessly, studying each drawing for at least a minute, if not more. Kate felt anxiety well up in her. Whatever he was going to say, she knew she was going to take it to heart. His opinion meant something to her and she couldn't quite place why.

"Where is this?" he asked, tapping one of the sketches.

"That's the chapel in the Frederiksborg Palace. I had to take a train to get there and spent all day, and it was so worth it. They turned the palace into the national history museum. There's a ton of art on display there, like some of the most important pieces in Danish history are there. But this room -- I could have spent the whole time there. It's beautiful. I didn't do the beauty of the chapel justice."

Neal smiled. "I haven't seen this chapel, but I think you did. This drawing is stunning."

"You really think so?" Kate asked, her anxiety fading away.

"I do." He looked at her, still smiling. "You're really talented. Did you study art?"

She shook her head. "I took a couple classes when I was in high school, but that's it. It's always been a casual hobby, and when I first came to Europe, I felt like I needed to draw everything. That way I wasn't just seeing these sights and taking snapshots. I had to really spend time there, and take in all the details. Everything in these books means something to me. But these are probably, technically, the best of the drawing. I mean, what I'm doing now is way better than when I first came here. I'm sort of learning on the job."

Neal flipped to the next page. "Seems like you've learned a lot," he mumbled, then went silent again. As he reached the end of the book, he flipped through the last few pages again. "Are these the statues you were talking about?"

"Yes, they are. Thorvaldsen was brilliant. His work was completely inspired." Now Kate was ready to start babbling. She could talk about Thorvaldsen for days. "I couldn't just let the statues go. It was like they were speaking to me in some language I couldn't understand."

"And that doesn't happen often with you."

"Exactly." She grinned. "I had to do everything I could to discover what they were telling me. I needed to take some of them with me, so I kept going back."

"If you asked nicely," Neal said, still gazing at the sketchbook, "I could get those statues out of the museum and you could really take them with you."

"No, thanks. Leave them for someone else to enjoy. They might get something completely different from them."

He looked up. "Seriously, these sketches are beautiful. It's easy to see that they mean something to you. You really have an eye for this. And your thoughts on the subject aside, I think you'd be very good at forgery."

She laughed. "No, thank you. I'm good with claiming all my work as my own. I want people to know that my work means something."

Neal smiled and gazed at her a long moment before he leaned in and kissed her.

Kate was stunned. She liked Neal, and she was attracted to him, but she hadn't expected this. She hadn't seen it coming at all. There were boundaries. Even so, she found herself kissing him back and he pressed in more fervently, and bringing his hand up into her hair. She moaned against his mouth before pulling away. She pressed a hand to his chest, to push him away. "Neal, I can't. It's not that you're not -- you are, but I'm with Alex."

"I know, but, Kate, I've never..." Neal took a deep breath and let it out with a laugh. "I've never met anyone like you. You're interesting and you challenge me. Do you know how rare that is for me? I feel like we could talk for hours. It's easy to talk to you. You have to be feeling this, too."

She stared at him. If she thought the kiss stumped her, this was beyond anything she could have predicted. "You met me yesterday. We haven't even known each other for twenty-four hours."

"Do you think it takes more time than that?" he asked. He closed the sketchbook and set it aside.

"I -- I don't know," she answered honestly. She was attracted to Neal, sure, and she felt sure that if she were single, she wouldn't be considering anything and would be kissing him. She wouldn't question him. She knew she felt _something_ when she was around him. She remembered what Alex had said about Neal being untrustworthy. Kate swallowed and asked, "How do I know that this isn't to get back at Alex for whatever history you guys have? Or part of some con?"

"You don't," Neal replied without hesitation. "All I have is my word and, frankly, that's not worth a lot. But I feel like I've found someone I can really be myself with. I want to tell you everything. And I think you can tell me everything too. And there's nothing to get back at Alex for. She's the one who would want to get back at me, not the other way around. I'll tell you all about it, if you want."

Kate was positive that this was honesty. Maybe it was just what she wanted to believe, but she _really_ wanted to believe him. She wanted every word out of his mouth to be truth. She couldn't deny that what he was saying felt right. She was feeling it too. He'd been humming alongside her since they debated over forgeries the day before.

"What about Alex?" she asked, barely believing the words were coming out her mouth. "I don't want to hurt her, and I don't think any version of 'I'm leaving you for your ex' is going to be an easy let down."

"Alex will bounce back. She always does."

"It seems cruel."

Neal smiled and pushed a lock of hair away from her face, his fingers brushing her cheek. "And you're kind, too."

Kate blushed. There was something intimate about his touch that she hadn't been expecting. "I don't know if this is a good idea."

"For who? For Alex or for yourself?"

"Both?"

"Look," Neal said, "Alex won't be back for hours. You don't have to make a decision now. We can figure this out slowly, if that's what you want. I'll wait."

Kate laughed. "'Til when? Until Alex gets back?"

"I'll wait as long as you need." He pulled his hand away and sat back. "Let's talk."

She stared at him, then reached out, pulling his face toward her. "Fuck it," she muttered before kissing him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her easily into lap. She straddled him and kept kissing. Somehow, kissing Neal felt crazier and more reckless than leaving school to go to France, and leaving her group to travel with Alex. It was insane and it was perfect. How was that even possible?

After so long, Kate had no idea, the minutes were blending together, Neal gathered her up in arms and managed to pick her up as he stood. He was stronger than he looked. He carried her into the bedroom, and instead of asking questions or second-guessing herself, Kate went with it. Right then, she wanted him more than she could imagine wanting anyone.

She liked to be on top, and Neal obliged her without question. She didn't even have to ask. She worked herself on him while he kissed her her breasts, and she ran her hands through his hair. He slipped a hand between her legs and toyed with her clit until he found just the right spot. He was different from the other guys she'd slept with. He was confident with reason to be. He was skilled. She buried her face in his neck as she came.

Kate pulled herself off of him, falling back onto the bed, panting. She lay there for a moment before sat up on an elbow and reached for Neal's cock with her free hand and began stroking him. He wrapped his hand around hers and guided her toward the head, then back down, and up again to rub there. He came, the veins in his neck bulging as he kept his mouth closed, only making strained groaning noises.

"I've never been with a guy who didn't come first," she said, when Neal had settled down next to her. She wrapped an arm around him, resting her head on the pillow so she could see his face. She knew he was attractive, but she had no idea how _beautiful_ he was.

"I have many talents," he said, kissing her. "Is there anything you don't do well? Drawing, languages, sex? Do you have any negatives?"

Kate laughed. "I can't cook. I can't... sew on a button. If I start laughing when there's liquid in my mouth, it will unattractively come out of my nose. I'm horrible at replying to emails. My mom's been emailing me for weeks, and I haven't replied in ages."

"Lucky for you," Neal said, smoothing back her hair, "I'm an excellent cook, and I can sew. But... do your parents even know where you are?"

"My mom knows I left my group in France, and I sent her an email from Germany. But she doesn't know any of the details. I was brief. I never know what to say to someone in a note. I was horrible at letters, too."

"Is she worried?"

Kate shrugged. "Maybe. She wants to know where I am, but I don't know if that's worry or sending a private jet to get me and force me back into school. It's a toss-up."

"What about your dad?" Neal asked.

"He died a couple years ago."

"I'm sorry."

She shrugged again. "He was sick for a long time. It sounds horrible, but it was sort of a relief. He was in pain all the time. It scared me so much then, and even thinking about it now, it still scares me."

"Dying?" Neal asked softly, taking her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"Dying slowly. Painfully. Watching everyone around you whisper and talk like it's happening to them, and not being able to look in the mirror and recognize yourself because you're just a shell. That's what he was at the end. A shell." There it was again, telling Neal things without thinking about it. It felt so natural. She touched his face. "What about your parents? Do they know what you do?"

He shook his head. "My mom died when I was nine in a car accident. My dad... tried. I think he really tried, but it was too much. He took his own life when I was sixteen. I was the one who found him. I just sat there and... I thought I should have been shocked, but he'd be depressed for so long. It felt inevitable. I sat with him until morning when I called the police." He blinked a few times, then laughed hollowly. "I've never told anyone that before. I haven't even thought about it in years."

"I'm so sorry," Kate said, feeling suddenly grateful for her mother. That maybe she should try to reply to those emails instead of ignoring them.

"It was years ago," Neal replied. "I try not to think about it."

She caressed his cheek. "I understand."

He leaned in and kissed her. "Is it too soon to tell you I love you?"

Kate's eyes widened. She wasn't sure if he was entirely serious. "Maybe. I don't have anything to say back, you know."

"I told you, I can wait." He grinned.

She grinned back at him, then sat up in the bed. "Was that the door?" she asked, holding the blanket up to her chest.

Neal sat up too, listening. "Maybe it was next door?"

Just as the words were out of his mouth, the bedroom door opened and Alex stood there, staring at them.

"What the fuck?" she asked, then turned away, slamming the door shut.

"Shit," Kate muttered, kicking back the blankets. She grabbed her red sweater off the floor and pulled it on. It was cold against her bare skin and smelled musty. She opened the bedroom door, and Alex was standing there in the main room, her hands on the back of the sofa.

"Alex," Kate said. "This isn't... I'm sorry."

"You're sorry that this isn't what?" Alex asked. She looked up and slowly moved away from the couch. "That this isn't how you wanted me to find out? This isn't how you wanted things to end? This isn't the way you saw it going in your head? Tell me."

"All of the above?" Kate said. "I didn't plan for this to happen. It just did."

Alex laughed bitterly. "Oh, well, if you're sorry that you _fucked him_ when you've only known him for one day, then I guess it's okay."

"I only knew you for one day when I left with you," Kate snapped, and instantly regretted it.

"You're right," Alex replied. She looked behind Kate, and Kate turned to see Neal standing behind her. Alex waved in Kate's direction. "She's all yours, Neal. And in three months she'll be someone else's. My god, Neal, do you do this to me on purpose? Do you think it's fun to throw my emotions in my face?" She pointed at Kate. "I want your shit out of here."

Kate nodded and hung her head down, not even able to meet Alex's gaze.

"What about the job?" Neal asked.

"Oh, the job's still on," Alex said. "Everything's going as planned. I'm not letting anything get in my way of getting that box. I'll be back in an hour and you," she pointed to Kate again, "better be gone."

Kate stood there until Alex left. She turned and Neal wrapped his arms around her. He petted her hair and held her, not saying anything for a few minutes. Finally, he said, "Come on, I'll help you pack up your stuff. We'll take it over to my hotel room."

She nodded against his chest, but didn't move otherwise. He slipped a finger under her chin and lifted her face until she met his eyes.

"She'll bounce back, I promise. It might take a while, but she'll get over it. We'll be working together again in no time," he said, then kissed Kate's forehead. "Come on, put some pants on."

Kate wasn't exactly reassured. Alex still sounded like she was holding a grudge from whatever had happened between her and Neal before. That didn't sound like bouncing back. It was more like reopening that wound. But Kate couldn't fix what had happened. It was too late for Alex and Neal, and too late for Alex and herself. All she could do was look ahead to her own future, the one with Neal. It was the only thing she could do.

\--- --- ---

Alex sat alone in the hospital room. She'd cut her arm escaping from the palace, and had apparently hit her head. The doctor insisted she stay the night since she had no one had home to be with her through her concussion.

She didn't actually expect anyone to visit her in the hospital. She'd severed those ties, though Neal could have at least escorted her there.

The job had gone well enough at first. Alex was so heavily in character that she forgot to be pissed off at Neal. They were almost having fun. It felt like old times. When things went south, they left together, but as soon they made the jump off the gatehouse, she barely had time to tell Neal she was injured; he said to split off.

They had met at the meet-spot, and Neal told her to go to the hospital for her arm. He hailed her a cab and told the driver where to go, but he didn't go with her. He didn't stay.

And now she was alone. Neal and Kate had probably already left the country. Conned their way into some fancy hotel room, just like she would have done, and would be on their way to Italy -- to Venice -- the next day.

Alex tried to tell herself that she hadn't been in love with Kate. It was a fling, a fun idea. There was never really anything there. It didn't work when she tried to convince herself that she wasn't still in love with Neal, and it wasn't working now. She went for someone who was nothing like Neal, who was innocent and dependent on her, and she still got screwed. She was still alone.

Maybe that's why she was alone. When you want too much, you end up with nothing.

No Neal. No Kate. No music box.

 _Fuck._

Alex closed her eyes. The least she could do is get some sleep. Or at least, that was the theory.

There was a knock on the door, and Alex opened her eyes again. A nurse (or someone who looked like a nurse, Alex wasn't sure; it was late and she was concussed) came into the room, holding a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.

"These came for you," she said, setting the vase on the bedside table. "They brighten up the room."

"Thank you," Alex replied. She waited until the nurse was gone and reached into the bouquet. There wasn't a note, but nestled into the yellow daisies was a blue origami flower.

Neal.

They used to pass each other notes, slipping them unnoticed into wallets and pockets for the other find. It was cute thing they did for each other. Now, it wasn't so cute. Now, it felt like mockery.

Alex considered whether or not she was up for this. Whatever the note said, she was going to have to deal with it. She sighed and unfolded the flower. Written in silver pen were three words:

 _I'm truly sorry._

"Ugh," Alex muttered and crumpled the flower up and tossed it toward the trash can. It bounced off the side and landed halfway between the bin and the bed.

She couldn't believe the note. Neal never apologized. He wasn't sorry for anything he did. He never had been, and he never would be. Remorse wasn't a part of his makeup. Remorse was a byproduct of guilt and Neal felt justified for everything he did. Everything with Kate was probably all in the name of love. Neal, who had now managed to break her heart twice, could justify it by saying it was for love. For loving someone else.

Maybe it wasn't them. Maybe it was her, and she was the one who wasn't good enough for them.

Alex closed her eyes, but she wasn't going to fall asleep now. She felt the burn of tears and she let them come.

 _This is it, Hunter_ , she told herself. _Cry now, because it's the only time you're going to waste your tears on them. One good cry, and you're done. You'll be over it._

Alone in the hospital room, Alex sobbed in her scratchy bedsheets. If she allowed herself to be weak now, she could be stronger for it in the morning.

\--- --- ---

 _"You don't know what this means to me." --Neal  
"I think I do. I hope Kate's still the same girl you think she is." --Alex  
"[...]You don't trust her. So why'd you bring this back?" --Neal  
"Because... I don't want this to be goodbye. In case she's not." --Alex_  
\--Out of the Box

 

 _Epilogue_  
Neal looked surprised to see Alex walk into the waiting room. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be. She could see that female agent off to the side talking to Peter, and considering that Alex had recently broken into her apartment, she didn't think it was a great place to be. However, Alex sat down next to Neal. "Mozzie's my friend, too." She lowered her voice. "And if this has something to do with the music box, then that's also my business."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Alex watched the FBI agents talk in hushed tones, and Peter kept glancing their way. He didn't seem surprised to see her, but she didn't think she was the one he was really looking at.

Neal, apparently unaware he was being watched (or perhaps just accustomed to it now), turned to her. "You know, Kate was your friend, too, once upon a time. You didn't seem too upset when she died."

"I didn't need to be when you were upset enough for ten people," Alex said, sounding more sarcastic than she meant to. "And just because I didn't tell you about it doesn't mean I didn't care. I may have spent a long time resenting her, but I didn't want her to die. You have to know that."

"Maybe that's been our problem, Alex. You never told me anything."

Alex sighed. "God, Neal, are we really going to do this now? Here?"

"Then when are we going to?"

"It's ancient history. I got over Kate a long time ago. We weren't even together that long. And I thought when she left with you, that she would do the same thing she did to me. That that's who she was. Someone who started a relationship and then left the second she found something she thought was better. And then you guys were together for ages."

Neal frowned. "It wasn't supposed to happen the way it did, you know. She never wanted to hurt you."

"Like I said, ancient history."

"How about you tell me something honest? Just for a change of pace."

Alex smiled and shook her head. "That's not easy."

"Humor me."

"Fine." She looked down at her hands for a moment, then glanced back up at Neal. "I got over Kate, but I never did get over you. I thought it was over, but these last few months... I remember everything that I loved about you and everything that drove me crazy. It's harder to tell myself that I don't love you when you're always there. Even when I try to avoid you."

Neal smiled, looking far too satisfied with that answer. "So when you gave me your number, it wasn't just business?"

"Is it ever?"

"I guess not." His smile faded, like he remembered why they were sitting there again. "I can't lose anyone else."

Alex hesitated, then reached over to take his hand. "You won't. Whatever conspiracy theory Mozzie got shot for, he's going to hold on so he can tell you all about it."

"I hope you're right," Neal said. After a moment, he shifted so he could rest his head on her shoulder.

Alex squeezed his hand. At least this time, waiting in a hospital, she wasn't alone. They weren't alone.


End file.
